I'll Follow You Into the Dark
by Lauren Ballard
Summary: One-Shot, Songfic. Damon's death. Delena!


_Love of mine, someday you will die.  
><em>_But I'll be close behind,  
><em>_I'll follow you into the dark  
>No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white<br>Just our hands clasped so tight  
>Waiting for the hint of the spark <em>

(Song by Death Cab for Cutie)

* * *

><p>"Please, Damon, stay with me!" Elena cried, sobbing against Damon's bloody chest. "Don't leave me!" Stefan stood silently across the room, watching his girlfriend scream for his brother to fight death. Damon murmured something incoherent, but soon repeated it.<p>

"I love you." the words were like a slap to Stefan. He'd always known it, but had hoped that Damon would never actually say it to Elena. "Always...Always remember that."

"I will." she wept. "And so will you. You're going to make it." with a smile on his lips, Damon shut his eyes.

"Goodbye, Elena." he whispered. His final words. He embraced the waiting darkness; Elena's face the last thing in his mind. He wished that he could live just a little longer - make her realise just how much he cared for her. But he was already gone.

Like a light flicking off, his shallow breathing stopped, and all that was left of Damon was a bloodied corpse.

"No!" Elena screamed. There was so much she hadn't been able to say to him. "_No!_Damon!" She collapsed on top of him, sobs shaking her body as she screamed his name over and over. Stefan was by her side, but she shrugged away his touch, focussing only on Damon.

"I should have told him." she cried out.

"Told him what?" Stefan asked quietly, although he already knew.

"That I love him." Elena whispered brokenly. "I love you, Damon. I'm so sorry - that I never told you." She closed her eyes, squeezing the tears back in.

"Elena," Stefan murmured gently, "He's gone." She didn't reply, and so he backed off, watching in agony as she wept over a corpse.

_A corpse of your brother_, he reminded himself grimly.

Elena's memories with Damon flooded through her, the happy and the sad. How could she have not told him before? With his death, any compulsion was lifted, and Elena was surprised to discover a hidden memory. He'd told her of his love before. The crystal clear memory made her sob more. _Of course you deserve me! It's _me_ that doesn't deserve _you_!_ She tried to reply to Damon in the memory. Oh, why hadn't she said anything? It was too late now. Damon was gone forever, and Elena was left alone in the world. Her family, friends, and even Stefan didn't matter to her anymore as she brought up every thought or memory of Damon that she could manage. He'd always been there for her, saving her life countless times. _How could I not have noticed?_

She wished that Damon could hear her now as she spoke aloud to his body.

"I love you, Damon. I'll - I'll never forget you." her voice cracked, and she broke into another fit of uncontrollable sobs. She glanced around the room and thankfully found Stefan gone. She staggered away from Damon where he lay on his bed; her decision made, and opened the top drawer of his bed side table. In it sat a long knife, barely fitting into the tight drawer. She pulled it out carefully, studying its gleaming silver with certainty. Grasping the wooden hilt tightly, she returned to Damon. She smiled faintly, tears in her eyes.

"I'll be with you again soon." she whispered, positioning the knife above her heart. She lay down in the grand be next to Damon, her hands shaking.

"I love you." she whispered once more, squeezing her eyes shut before quickly plunging the knife into her heart with precision. A scream escaped her lips, but was quickly cut off as she gasped for breath. She found nothing to fill her lungs, and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sharp pain.  
>I can't die like this! It was too painful, as if burning her from the inside out. Blood pooled on the white sheets next to her, and she remembered that this was how Damon died, a stab to the heart. With that thought, she could bear the pain, being brave as she remembered that Damon suffered the same thing. She faded into the blackness just as Stefan came racing in.<p>

* * *

><p><em>You and me<em>  
><em>Have seen everything to see<em>  
><em>From Bangkok to Calgary<em>  
><em>And the soles of your shoes<em>  
><em>Are all worn down, the time for sleep is now<em>  
><em>But it's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon<em>  
><em>In the blackest of rooms<em> 

* * *

><p>Elena stood in a meadow.<p>

The sun shone down across the blooming flowers, warming her skin. She smiled, facing up towards it.

"Elena." a voice whispered. She looked down and saw Damon standing in front of her, his eyes wide with worry and pain.

"Damon!" She remembered everything. His death_...Her_death. She pulled him into a tight embrace feeling that if she let go, he would disappear forever. She wouldn't let him leave her again.

"It's all right." he comforted her. "I'm here. I'm sorry I left you."

"But you're here now." Elena beamed, pulling back slightly to face him. He looked miserable.

"What's wrong?" she asked, wondering how he could be unhappy. They were together again.

"You shouldn't be here." He murmured, taking her hand.

"What do you mean?" She was hurt by his words. Did Damon not want her here?

"Did you - Did you die, Elena?" he whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

"Yes." she replied quietly. "To be with you again." Wasn't it obvious?

"No...Elena, that's not what I wanted." tears rolled down his cheeks, and he looked away, agony in his expression.

"I love you; I never wanted you to die. I wanted you to live, to move on. And always remember me." Elena was on the verge of tears. But how could she? What was the point in living without him?

"You have to be strong for me, Elena. Fight. Survive." But it was too late, wasn't it?

"I can't - I can't live without you, Damon. I love you." she was on the verge of sobbing again, but held back.

"I know." he managed a weak smile. "But you have to go back." His voice seemed to grow quieter, and Elena realised that she was leaving him. No!

"I'll love you forever. I'll always be watching." he said, pressing his lips to hers in a final kiss.

"Goodbye, Elena." he smiled, before fading away into the light. Everything was dark, and Elena heard a distant _beep - beep_ in rhythm with her heartbeat.  
>She opened her eyes.<p>

* * *

><p><em>If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied<em>  
><em>Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs<em>  
><em>If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks<em>  
><em>Then I'll follow you into the dark<em>  
><em>And I'll follow you into the dark.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! This is my first ever one-shot and songfic! :) Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review. Constructive critisism is also welcomed. <strong>


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